Anti-Cyberbullying Toolkit

Standing Up, Not Standing By:

An Anti-Cyberbullying Toolkit for Educators

This free toolkit has the resources schools need to take an effective stand against cyberbullying. Rely on it to start your year off right.

Each occurrence of cyberbullying hurts students, disrupts classrooms, and impacts your school's culture and community. So how should you handle it? What are the right things to do and say? What can you do today that will help your students avoid this pitfall of our digital world?

Even with the best, most proactive intentions to reduce the risks associated with cyberbullying, there will always be times where something does occur. Understanding how to deal with the aftermath is just as important as understanding how to lay a preventive foundation.

Changing the culture of how we prevent and respond to cyberbullying can lead to powerful effects in the larger community. That is why we have partnered with No Bully to help schools and communities understand all the facets of cyberbullying and digital drama. We want to best equip you with the resources and tools to ensure that you and your schools are prepared for whatever comes your way.

Whether you are just starting and are looking to find ways to set that strong foundation; you have already started to address these issues in your classroom and are looking for additional resources; or something has happened and you are looking for some answers, this toolkit can help.

The Power of Words (3-5)

Students consider that they may encounter online messages from other kids that can make them feel angry, hurt, sad, or fearful. They explore ways to handle cyberbullying and how to respond in the face of upsetting language online.

The Reality of Digital Drama (6-8)

Students discuss their impressions of peer drama, both online and as depicted on reality TV. Students compare and contrast two videos to think critically about the way that gender stereotypes can play out in mass media, as well as in their own lives online.

Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line (6-8)

Students learn to distinguish good-natured teasing from cyberbullying. A documentary-style video details one student's experience, and students discuss what it means to "cross the line" into cyberbullying.

Taking Perspectives on Cyberbullying (9-12)

Becoming a Web Celeb (9-12)

Students reflect on the possibilities and perils of an online world in which anyone can become a celebrity overnight. Students analyze the journeys of real "Web celebs," including reading some of the harsh comments they've received online, and learn to recognize how these comments may affect other viewers as well as their targets.

Breaking Down Hate Speech (9-12)

Students learn the definition of hate speech and understand how it affects individuals, groups, and communities. Students learn to recognize hate speech by reading an article or by analyzing a brief video.

Additional Resources

These are only four of the 65 lessons we offer for K–12 classrooms. Explore them all in our Scope & Sequence, where you'll find our Spanish-language resources!

For Your Students

As teachers, it is important to engage students to think about the role they play when it comes to cyberbullying and digital drama.

We have pulled together some resources to help your students become upstanders and supporters of one another against cyberbullying and digital drama.

Elementary School Students

Digital Passport

Help your students earn their very own Digital Passport by playing and exploring more about cyberbullying and what to do if they or someone they know is being cyberbullied with Digital Passport's E-Volve.

Middle & High School Students

Digital Compass

Introduce Digital Compass to your students to help them better understand where they are headed online. Which path might they choose? Students can find out with the animated stories and games of Digital Compass, all without risking their real-world reputations. Explore more about cyberbullying and digital drama with our Digital Compass characters, Rhoda and Wink.

Additional Resources

The ability to instantly share photos online is a powerful way for students to interact with one another, but it can also lead to problems. Explore with your students the responsibilities they have when sharing photos online with our Should I Share? classroom poster.

For Parents & Families

We know that for parents and caregivers, cyberbullying and digital drama can be both confusing and worrying. Use these programs and resources to help empower your student's parents and caregivers to better understand how cyberbullying and digital drama can affect their kids and the larger community.

Connecting Families

The Connecting Families program helps parents and kids address important topics and have meaningful conversations about making great choices in their digital lives, from cyberbullying to photo sharing. The program includes everything you need to encourage your schools and communities to use connected technologies in ways that are both fun and safe. (Available in Spanish as well.)

Be sure to look at both our Digital Drama and Cyberbullying cases to further explore how these behaviors not only affect our kids' schools but their own communities

Additional Resources

Help your families stay in the know about which apps can be magnets for cyberbullying and digital drama with our Digital Glossary.

Common Sense Media offers a wide range of advice created specifically for parents. Be sure to let parents and caregivers know where to go to find out everything they need regarding cyberbullying, organized by age and stage with our Parent Concerns pages.

Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.

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